The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-21
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: 1.-THE Salutation From the
Chariot"
TEXT: as thine heart right 'S-1. Kings


TEXT: "lsthine heart right '"-IL Kings
<, Is.
With mettled horses at full speed, for he
was celebrated for fast driving, Jehn, the
warrior and king, returns from battle. But
seeing JehonadaD, an acquaintance, by the
wayside, he shouts "Whoai whoaT" to the
lathered span. Then, leaning over to Jehon-
adab, Jehu salautes him in the words OF the
te1t-words not more appropriate FOR that
hour and that place than for this hour and
place.
Is thine heart rightl should like to hear
of your physical health. Well myself, like
to have every body else we'll; and so might
ask: Is your eyesight right, your hearing
right, your nerves right, your lungs right,
your entire body rightl But l am busy to-
day taking diagnosis Of the more important
spiritual conditions.
should like to hear Of your financial well
fare. l want everybody to have plenty OF
money. ample apparel, large ,storehouse, and
comfortable residence. 4 And might ask: Is
your business right, your income right, your
worldly surroundings right2 But what are
these financial questions compared with the
inquiry as to whether you have been able to
pay your debts to God; as to whether you
are running yourself by the long credit sys-
tenn of the souli / have known men to have
no more than one loaf OF bread at time, and
vet to own q government bond Of heaven
worth more than the whole material uni
verse.
The question ask you to-day is not in re-
gard to your habits. I make no inquiry
about your integrity, or your chastity, or
your sobriety. do not mean to stand on
the outside Df the gate and ring the bell; but
coming up the steps I open the door and
come to the private apartment Of the soul ;
and with the earnestness Of a man that must
give an account for this days work, cry
out: 30 man, 0 woman immortal, Is thine
heart rightf'
will not insult you by an argument to
prove that we are by nature all wrong II
there be a factory explosion and the smoke
stack be upset, and the wheels be broken in
two. and the engine unjointed, and the pom.
derous bars be twisted, and a man should
look in and say that nothing was the matter,
yon would pronounce him fool Well. 1t
needs no acumen to discover that our nature
is all atwist and askew and unjointed. The
thing doesn't work right The biggest trouble
we have in the world is with our souls.
Men sometimes say that though their lives
may not be Just right, their heart is all right.
Impossiblel A farmer never puts the poorest
apples on top Of his barrel; nor does the mer-
chant place the meanest goods In his show
window. The best part OF us Is our outward
life. / do not stop to discuss whether we all
fell in Adam, for we have been our own
Adam, and have all eaten Of the forbidden
fruit, and have been turned ont OF the para
disc of holiness and peace; and though the
flaming sword that stood at the gate to Keep
US out has changed position and comes behind
to drive lis in, we will not go.
The Bible account Of us is not exaggerated
wnen it says that we are poor and wretched
and miserable and blind and naked. Poor:
the wretch that stands shivering on our door.
step on a cold day is not so much in need Of
bread as we are Of spiritual help. Blind:
why, the man whose eyes lerished in the
powder blast, and who for these ten years
has gone feeling his way from street to street,
is not in such utter darkness as we. Naked:
why, there is not one rag OF holiness lefe TO
hide the shame Of our sin. Sick: why, the
leprosy has eaten into the head and the heart
mus Of an everlasting wasting away has al
ready seized on some Of us.
First we need repenting heart. If for the
last ten, twenty or forty years OF life we nave
been going on in the wrong way it is time
that we turned around and started in the
opposite direction. II we offend our friends
we are glad to apologize. God is our best
friend, and yet how many of us have never
apologized for the wrongs wehave done Him!
get rid of as sin. 1t is q horrible black mon
ster. It polluted Eden. 1t killed Christ. 1t
has blasted the world. Men keep dogs in
kennels, and rabbits in a warren, and cattle
in q pen What q man that would be who
would shut them up in his parlor. But this
foul dog of sin and these herds Of tranSgres.
sion, we have entertained for many long
year in our heart, which should be the clean
est, brightest room In all our nature. Out
III. L L.. .lo Lox.lt hafN n
an immortal naturel Turn out the beasts
and let Christ come in!
A heathen came to an early Christian who
had the reputation Of curing diseases. The
Christian said: 'sYou must have all your idols
destroyed" The heather gave to the Chris
tian the key to his house, that he might 60 in
and dest, oy the idols. He battered to pieces
all he saw, but still the man did not get we'll.
The Christian said to him: "There must be
some idol in your house not yet destroyed.
The heather confessed that there was one idol
of beaten gold that he could not bear to give
up. After while when that was destroyed,
in answer to the prayer of the Christian the
sick man got well.
. Many a man has awakened in his dying
hour to find his sins all about him. They
clambered up on the right side OF the bed.
on the left side, and over the headboard, and
over the footboard, and horribly devoured
the soul.
Repent! the voice celestial cries,
Nor longer dare drlay:
The wretch that scorns the mandate dies,
Andmeets n fiery day.
Again, we need believing heart A good
many years ago weary one went up one of
the hills of Asia Minor, and with two logs on
his back cried out to all the world: Offering
to carry their sins and sorrows. They pur-
sued him. They slapped him in the face.
They mocked him. When he groaned they
groaned They shook their fists at him.
They spit on him. They bounded him as
though he were wild beast. His healing OF
the sick, his sight giving to the blind, his
mercy to the outcast silenced not the revenge
of ths world. His prayers and benedictons
were lost in that whrlwind Of execration,
Away with himl Away with himl
Ali it was not merely the two pieces OF
wood that he carried; it was the tIanSSres-
sions OF the race, the anguish OF the ages, the
wrath of God, the sorrows OF hell, the Still
pendous interests Of an unending eterDlty.
No wonder his back bent. No wonder the
blood started from every pore. NO wonder
that he crouched under torture that made
the sun faint, and the everlasting mis- trem-
BILE, and the dead rush up in their winding
sheets as he cried, ''If it be possible, let this
cun mass from me-" But the cup did not
pass. None to comfort.
There he hangsl What has that hand done
that it should be thus crushed IN the
palm3 It has been healing the lame and
wiping away tears What has that foot been
doing chat it should be so lacerated9 1t has
been going about doing good. OF what has
the victim been guilty. Guilty of saving a
world. Tell me, ye heavens and earth, was
there ever such another criminal? Was there
ever such crime! On that hill OF carnage,
that sunless day, amid those bowling rioters,
may hot your sins and mine have perishedi
believe it. =,
Oh, the ransom has been paid. Those
arms of Jesus were stretched OUT SO wlde
that when He brought them together